Device for turning suspended loads



June 17, 1958 e. A. SPENCER 2,339,324

DEVICE FOR TURNING SUSPENDED LOADS Filed Dec. 16, 1955 2 FILE E- 6 2a 4\ my :2; f" I 8 I 2612'- 32 32 [I I j 34 34 32 m-Q. '1; I -34 I2 '20 I 'l 30 I I 1 mm 4 I-III I, 4

Tug-.3-

\ 38 /A/ new TOR.

/ GEORGE A. sPE/vcm,

E 424 6 Ada-M his Af/grqgy.

United States Patent O DEVICE FOR TURNING SUSPENDED LUADS George A. Spencer, Pleasant Grove, Utah, assignor to }Jnited States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New ersey Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,560

2 Claims. (Cl. 29482) The present invention relates generally to material handling equipment and has as its object the provision of a device to be used in conjunction with a lift crane hook for automatically turning a suspended load about its vertical axis as the load is raised.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device which may be attached to a stabilized, i. e. non-swiveling, crane hook which will turn a load a predetermined are about its vertical axis'as it is being lifted.

The invention will be fully apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the device of the invention partially rotated; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV--IV of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings reference numeral 2 designates the lift hook of a crane which is locked in non-swiveling position by conventional means (not shown). The turning device of my invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 4, is attached to the hook by means of a bracket 6. The bracket 6 is aflixed to the top of a fluid pressure cylinder 8 which forms the main body of the turning device. The cylinder 8 is provided with a piston 10 vertically slidable therein having a piston rod 12 attached thereto. The piston rod 12 depends from the piston 10 and has a portion 14 thereof projecting outwardly through an opening 16 in the bottom of the cylinder 8. A helical spring 18 which is mounted within the cylinder 8 with one end bearing against the bottom of the piston 10 and its other end hearing against the bottom of the cylinder serves to constantly urge the piston 10 upwardly within the cylinder.

A by-pass conduit 20 is vertically disposed on the exterior of the cylinder 8 with its upper end 22 communicating with the interior of the cylinder adjacent its top and its lower end 24 communicating with the interior of the cylinder adjacent its bottom. A solenoid valve 26 is provided in the by-pass conduit for controlling the flow of pressure fluid between the top and bottom of the cylinder. The solenoid valve 26 is remotely operated from the cab of the crane (not shown) by means of a power line 28.

A U-shape yoke bracket 30 carried by the projecting portion 14 of the piston rod 12 is slidingly telescoped onto the cylinder 8. The bracket 30 is provided with opposed cam follower portions 32 which slidingly engage a pair of helical cam slots 34 which are formed on opposite sides of the cylinder 8.

The bottom of the bracket has a load carrying bracket 36 attached thereto for carrying, for example, a load lifting hook 38.

In operation, the spring 18 normally maintains the piston 10 in the upper portion of the cylinder 8 when the lift hook 38 alone is hanging on the bracket 36. When a load is attached to the hook and lifted, the crane operator actuates and opens a solenoid valve 26 to cause pressure fluid to flow from the bottom to the top of cylinder 8, this causes the piston 10 to be forced downward toward the bottom of the cylinder compressing spring 18. The

cam followers 32 then move down along the cam slots 34 which movement causes the bracket 30 and the load it is carrying to turn about a common vertical axis. Although I have shown cam slots which will cause a rotation of degrees it is to be understood that the shape of the helical cam surfaces may bevaried to bring about any desired amount of rotation. One or more cam slots may be provided as desired. When the load is lowered at its destination and the weight is released from the bracket 30, spring 18 forces, by means of piston 10 and piston rod 12, the bracket 30 up into its original position which causes the pressure fluid to flow through the by-pass conduit 20 from the top of the cylinder 8 back into the bottom thereof. The solenoid valve 26 is then closed thus putting the device in position for the next lift.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a non-rotatable lift-crane hook the improvement therewith of a device for turning a load suspended from said hook about its vertical axis which comprises a fluid pressure cylinder suspended from said hook, a piston having a piston rod attached thereto vertically slidable in said cylinder, the free end of said piston rod projecting outwardly of an opening in the bottom of said cylinder, spring means in said cylinder urging said piston upwardly, a vertically disposed by-pass conduit on the exterior of said cylinder communicating at one end with the interior of said cylinder adjacent the bottom thereof and communicating at its other end with the interior of said cylinder adjacent the top thereof, a remotely operated valve in said by-pass conduit for controlling the passage of pressure fluid through said conduit, a helical cam surface on the exterior surface of the wall of said cylinder, a substantially U-shape yoke bracket rotatably carried by the projecting end of said piston rod and slidingly engaging said cylinder, cam follower means on said bracket slidably engaging said cam surface, and load carrying means on said yoke bracket.

2. In a non-rotatable lift crane hook the improvement therewith of a device for turning a load suspended from said hook about its vertical axis which comprises a fluid pressure cylinder suspended from said hook, a piston having a piston rod attached thereto vertically slidable in said cylinder, the free end of said piston rod projecting outwardly of an opening in the bottom of said cylinder, spring means in said cylinder urging said piston upwardly, a vertically disposed by-pass line on the exterior of said cylinder communicating at one end with the interior of said cylinder adjacent the bottom thereof and communicating at its other end with the interior of said cylinder adjacent the top thereof, a remotely operated valve in said by-pass conduit for controlling the passage of pressure fluid through said conduit, a pair of helical cam slots on opposite sides of said cylinder, a substantially U-shape yoke bracket rotatably carried by the projecting end of said piston rod and slidingly engaging said cylinder, cam follower means on said bracket slidably fitted in said cam slots, and load carrying means on said bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,665,997 Austin Apr. 10, 1928 2,407,620 Vinsant Sept. 10, 1946 2,500,459 Hoover et al. Mar. 14, 1950 2,620,160 Hay Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 539,878 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1941 

